The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund

Gifting work to public collections

In 2017, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund was created by a set of local business people passionate about their city and its cultural heritage. The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund seeks to support rising artists, providing them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity.

2018 Fund Announcement

The work of three young, rising artists has been chosen for public display at Manchester Art Gallery, following a rigorous selection process by The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund this weekend (Oct 12 – 14).

True to the Fund’s objective - to support young artists and provide them with a money-can’t-buy platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity – the deserved winners, 27 year old Benoit Aubard from Paris, Juno Calypso aged 29 from London and 34 year old Ian McIntyre from Yorkshire, are all first-time exhibitors in the city and at a crucial stage in their career as they seek to gain public attention.

Speaking on behalf of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair CEO Thom Hetherington, said: “The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund is passionate about providing the people of Manchester with the opportunity to enjoy works from the most relevant contemporary artists.”

“This year’s recipients have produced outstanding works which will be at home as part of Manchester Art Gallery’s public collection. People sometimes know Manchester Art Gallery for its historical collections, but it’s important to remember that all art was contemporary once, and that Manchester Art Gallery must constantly acquire significant pieces which respond to our lives now, to ensure that it remains relevant for centuries to come.

“We hope the pieces we have chosen will encourage the public to reflect on their own identity and that of Manchester, from the city’s industrial revolution to social challenges we face today - the works really do each have a piece of Manchester within them.”

Title: How Much Life is Enough

Artist: Juno Calypso

Gallery: T J Boulting, London

Title: Homesick

Artist: Benoit Aubard

Gallery: galerie nivet-carzon, Paris

Title: Re-engineered Brown Betty Teapot

Artist: Ian McIntyre

Gallery: Airspace Gallery, Stoke on Trent

Work Selected in 2017

William Mackrell, represented by The RYDER, and Emma Charlotte Price, represented by Two Queens, were selected from over 150 artists by Fund founders and the curatorial team of Manchester Art Gallery following an exhaustive panel discussion. This work is currently on display at Manchester Art Gallery